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Working when pregnant

The law gives special protection to pregnant women at work. They have rights to paid time off for antenatal care, statutory maternity leave and may get maternity pay or a maternity allowance. They are also protected against unfair treatment.

The basics of working while pregnant

Pregnant employees have four key rights:

  • paid time off for antenatal care
  • maternity leave of 52 weeks (26 weeks’ Ordinary Maternity Leave and 26 weeks’ Additional Maternity Leave)
  • maternity pay benefits, usually Statutory Maternity Pay or Maternity Allowance, and in some cases a Sure Start Maternity Grant provided they meet certain conditions
  • protection against unfair treatment or dismissal

Employers also have certain obligations to ensure the health and safety of pregnant employees.

Personalised help

you can get personalised help on what you qualify for

You can get personalised help on what you qualify for by using the Tailored Interactive Guidance on Employment Rights (TIGER) tool.

The tool will produce a personalised statement of the maternity leave and pay that you may qualify for, along with an interactive calendar to help you plan your leave.

Telling your employer that you're pregnant

You must tell your employer that you're pregnant at least 15 weeks before the beginning of the week when your baby's due. If this isn’t possible, for example because you didn’t realise you were pregnant, you must tell your employer as soon as possible. You should also tell them when you want to start your maternity leave and receive Statutory Maternity Pay.

However, it's a good idea to tell your employer earlier, because it will let them plan around your maternity leave and carry out their legal obligations to you. This is particularly important if there are any health and safety issues. You cannot take paid time off for ante-natal appointments until you have told your employer you are pregnant.

Time off for antenatal care

All pregnant employees, however long they've been in their jobs, are entitled to reasonable time off work for antenatal care. Any time off must be paid at your normal rate of pay. It is unlawful for your employer to refuse to give you reasonable time off for ante-natal care or to pay you at your normal rate of pay.

Your employer can ask for evidence of antenatal appointments from the second appointment onwards. If asked you should show your employer a medical certificate showing you're pregnant and an appointment card or some other written evidence of your appointment.

Antenatal care may include relaxation or parent craft classes as well as medical examinations, if these are recommended by your doctor. If you can, try to avoid taking time off work when you can reasonably arrange classes or examinations outside working hours.

Fathers-to-be and time off for antenatal appointments

Fathers do not have a legal right to time off to accompany their partners to antenatal appointments as the right to paid time off only applies to pregnant employees. However, many companies recognise how important a time this is and let their employees either take paid time off or make up the time later.

Having a child through IVF (in vitro fertilisation)

It is unlawful sex discrimination for employers to treat a woman less favourably because she is undergoing IVF (in vitro fertilisation) treatment or intends to become pregnant. You will be entitled to paid time off for antenatal care only after the fertilised embryo has been implanted.

Health and safety for pregnant employees

Some workplace hazards can affect pregnancy at a very early stage or even before conception, so employers must think of the health of women of child bearing age, not just wait until you tell your employer that you're pregnant. Your employer, as part of their normal risk assessment must consider if any work is likely to present a particular risk to women of child bearing age. You should tell your employer that you're pregnant as early as possible so that they can identify if any further actions are needed.

Risk assessment

When you tell your employer that you are pregnant your employer should review their risk assessment for your specific work and identify any changes that are necessary to protect you and your unborn baby's health. Your employer should involve you in the process and continue to review the assessment as your pregnancy progresses to see if any adjustments are necessary.

These risks might be caused by:

  • lifting or carrying heavy loads
  • standing or sitting for long periods
  • exposure to toxic substances
  • long working hours

Your employer must then either remove the risk or remove you from being exposed to it (for example, by offering you suitable alternative work). If neither of these is possible, your employer should suspend you from work on full pay.

If you think you're at risk

If you think you're at risk, but your employer doesn't agree, you should first talk to your health and safety representative or a trade union official. You can also go directly to your employer to explain your concerns. If your employer still refuses to take action, you should talk to your doctor or call the Health and Safety Executive helpline on 0845 345 0055 (8.00 am to 6.00 pm Monday to Friday).

Pregnancy-related illness

If you're off work for a pregnancy-related illness during the four weeks before your baby is due, your maternity leave and statutory maternity pay (from your employer) or maternity allowance (from Jobcentre Plus) will start automatically, no matter what you had agreed with your employer.

Compulsory maternity leave

Even if you've decided not to take Statutory Maternity Leave, you must take two weeks off after your baby is born, or four weeks if you work in a factory. This is called 'compulsory maternity leave'.

Discrimination and pregnancy

It's unlawful sex discrimination for employers to treat women less favourably because of their pregnancy or because they take maternity leave. Such treatment includes things like:

  • trying to cut your hours without your permission
  • suddenly giving you poor staff reports
  • giving you unsuitable work
  • making you redundant because of your pregnancy (you might still be made redundant for other reasons)
  • treating days off sick due to pregnancy as a disciplinary issue

Your employer can't change your terms and conditions of employment while you're pregnant without your agreement. If they do, they'll be in breach of contract.

What to do if you have problems

If you are being denied your rights, talk to your employer first of all. If you have an employee representative (for example, a trade union official), they may be able to help.

If this doesn't work, you may need to make a complaint using your employer's internal grievance procedure.

If you're still unhappy, you can make a complaint to an Employment Tribunal.

Where to get help

The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) offer free, confidential and impartial advice on all employment rights issues. You can call the Acas helpline on 08457 47 47 47 from 8.00 am to 6.00 pm Monday to Friday.

The Labour Relations Agency (LRA) offers free, confidential and impartial advice on all employment rights issues for residents of Northern Ireland. You can contact the LRA on 028 9032 1442 from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm Monday to Friday.

Your local Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) can provide free and impartial advice. You can find your local CAB office in the phone book or online.

If you're a member of a trade union you can get help, advice and support from them

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